This took place on Thursday 21st March 1872 on very hard, frosty ground with underlying snow. The winner was owned by Teddy Brayley, trained by A Cowley and ridden by John Page, winning by 6 lengths in 10 minutes 20 secs, with a further 6 lengths back in third.

GRAND
NATIONAL 1872

There were 85 subscribers, of which 25 declared to run, leaving a pot of £1455. (Equivalent to £115,000 in 2017)

Pos.

Horse

Jockey

Owner

1

CASSE TETE

John Page

Mr Edward Brayley

2

SCARRINGTON

R L'Anson

Mr T Wilkinson

3

DESPATCH

G Waddington

Mr Studd

4

THE LAMB

Mr Thomas

Baron C Oppenheim

also

FLEURISTE

Rickaby

Duke of Hamilton

also

MASTER MOWBRAY

G Holman

Mr J Goodliffe

also

OURAGAN

A Holman

Mr P Merton

also

SCOTS GREY

Mr G Moore

Major Browne

also

SCALTHEEN

J Murphy

Lord Eglinton

also

HARVESTER

Mr A Yates

Mr A Yates

also

MARIN

Cassidy

Baron Finot

also

PRIMROSE

Mr W R Brockton

Mr W R Brockton

also

SNOWSTORM

Thorpe

Mr Chaplin

also

SCHIEDAM

Mr J M Richardson

Lord Eglinton

also

RUFUS

Patter

Captain Montgomery

also

NUAGE

Harding

Mr Doncaster

also

RHYSHWORTH

Boxall

Mr Chaplin

also

FRANC LURON

J Cannon

Lord Aylesford

also

CINDERELLA

J Adams

Lord Angelesy

also

ACTON

J Rudd

Mr Finchley

also

PHILOSOPHER

Gray

Mr W Murray

also

ROYAL IRISH FUSILIER

T Andrews

Baron Oppenheim

also

SAUCEBOX

Whiteley

Mr H Ellison

also

DERBY DAY

Marsh

Lord Conyngham

also

HALL COURT

Mr Brown

Captain Browne

Betting

Bell’s Life and the Sporting Chronicle provided a detailed account of the race on Saturday 23rd March 1872, the article forming the backbone of the information shown below.
It was broadcast loud and clear in the racing press that the Grand National was increasing in popularity, the most influential racing newspaper writing, ‘ Plain ungarnished facts always strike home more deeply than the neatest of complimentary sentences, and there is truth aplenty to support the statement that the Liverpool Grand National has increased rather than diminished in popularity to such an extent that even the Two Thousand Guineas and Epsom Derby combined possess a lesser interest during the winter months’. There was a threat of postponement on account of snow, the early morning temperature being quite Siberian, but in the early afternoon a shower of rain saw off the last of the snow covering. Despite all of the testing conditions, the flag fell at 3.35pm, barely 5 minutes after the appointed time, with Despatch on the inside, and Scaltheene on the right, setting the early pace, followed by the favourite Master Mowbray, The Lamb and Primrose. At the first fence the leading group was transformed to include Royal Irish Fusilier, Rufus, Despatch and Derby Day. At the second fence Snowstorm fell, which seemed appropriate given the state of the weather. At Becher’s Brook, (Note that Becher’s was spelt correctly this tear for the first time), the hard-pulling Primrose ran up alongside Royal Irish Fusilier and Rufus. The fence before Valentine’s Brook proved fatal for Nuage who over-jumped and broke a hip bone. The pace then slackened, enabling the field to cluster, still led by Rufus and Royal Irish Fusilier. By the time the leaders reached the Stand Water jump Primrose and Rufus were sharing the lead, although Rufus assumed sole command by the first fence in the country. It was at this fence that Primrose fell and brought down Marin, Philosopher and Schiedam. Unfortunately, Primrose broke her back and died instantly. Over Becher’s and Valentine’s the field continued to thin out, Cinderella unseating her rider Adams at the latter obstacle. Into the home straight, the next flight of hurdles was met first by Scots Grey and The Lamb, but close on their heels was Casse Tete, with Despatch also in close attendance. At the final flight of hurdles Casse Tete grabbed the initiative from The Lamb and ran on strongly to win with ease by 6 lengths, with a further 6 lengths separating Scarrington and Despatch, while the tiring The Lamb was a further 2 lengths back in fourth. Fleuriste claimed fifth place, with Master Mowbray in sixth.

4/1

Despatch

100/15

Nuage

100/15

Cinderella

10/1

Schiedam

100/8

The Lamb

100/6

Primrose

100/6

Franc Luron

20/1

Casse Tete

25/1

Harvester

25/1

Marin

25/1

Rufus

25/1

Master Mowbray

33/1

Scots Grey

40/1

Fleuriste

50/1

Acton

50/1

Snowstorm

50/1

Derby Day

66/1

Saucebox

100/1

Royal Irish Fusilier

100/1

Philosopher

100/1

Hall Court

200/1

Ryhshworth

200/1

Ourang

200/1

Scaltheen

200/1

Scarrington

Over Round 112%

Note that unquoted horses have been allocated 200/1.

ISBN 978-0-9957632-0-3

652 pages

774 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-1-0

352 pages

400 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-2-7

180 pages

140 former courses

ISBN 978-0-9957632-3-4

264 pages

235 former courses

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